The present invention relates to the field of household automatic washers, which have recently focused an increasing interest in water consumption, as well as their energy use. This has directed focus on the ability to design various alternatives which allow for rational use of this vital liquid, as well as rational use of energy. On the other hand, some types of washers, like for example front loading washers, since they use small amounts of water, in many cases have compromised the efficiency of stain removal, where the wash cycle is longer, or being forced to use some means to elevate water temperature (a process which itself consumes high amounts of energy), in order to maximize the chemical power of the detergents or other additives mixed with the water to create the washing mixture.
Said front loading or horizontal axis washers face the above described problems, where water consumption is reduced in comparison with top loading or vertical axis, they undergo much longer cycles as well as the need to heat up water, thus increasing energy consumption. Since they are not fitted with an agitator or propeller, large water flows are not created which would have the ability to permeate through the weave of the articles to be washed, and since it is also not fitted with scrubbers, the scrubbing effect does not take place, thus their surfaces do not create friction with the objects to be washed. The above mentioned front loading or horizontal axis washers, similarly require some ties grasped unto the length of the cylinder or basket which aid in turning and mixing the clothes, causing friction between said clothes as well as against the referred to ties and the basket's interior surface. These significant differences, on one hand cause the wash cycles in a front loading or vertical axis washer to be longer cycles, it being evident due to low friction amongst the objects to be washed that there is less wear on them, which makes the removal of spots or dirt adhered to the fibers of the weave more difficult, with the understanding that low flow currents of the water or the washing mixture which cross said weaves in the cloth, coupled to the low friction among the same clothes, thus resorting to the chemical action of the washing mixture, which in order to maximize said detergent action, the washing mixture is heated and the wash cycle lengthened in order to attain a good washing action on the textiles or objects to be washed.
On the other hand, the top loading or vertical axis washers require high amounts of water so that the agitator or propeller can create good water flow, which coupled to the scrubbing action of the propeller or the agitator, cause friction unto the surface or weave of the objects to be washed added to the chemical action of the detergents which aid in removing spots firmly adhered to the textile fibers. This system allows for shorter washing cycles with less energy consumption but with higher water consumption.
Therefore, there exists the need for new technology which: should have low water consumption and low energy consumption, create strong water flow currents which aid in the penetration of the washing mixture through the fibers of the weave, vigorous scrubbing of the articles to be washed without damaging them, allow for the mixing of water and chemicals before the latter have any contact with the objects to be washed, which helps among other things, to begin the chemical action quickly when the mixture is homogenized, thus taking advantage of its chemical action to attain high washing efficiency. These reasons cause the thinking of a vertical loading washer which has a particular agitator or propeller, which allows washing with a low water volume. Also, there should be a washing method which aids in energy conservation, as well as efficient wash, these being among others, the objective of the present invention.
Various efforts have been made with the aim of reducing water and energy use in household washers, as is the case in Pastryk's et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,093, which describes a recirculation system, which is composed of a tank which mechanically adheres to the washer's tub. Said tank receives the detergent or chemicals as well as a certain water volume, the tank serves to mix the detergent with the chemicals, so that these may be poured in shower fashion unto the articles to be washed. This solution has the inconvenience of using high water volumes for the wash cycle, knowing that this takes place in traditional form, that is: the tub is filled to a certain water volume, the objects to be washed being totally immersed in the above mentioned liquid, followed by the beginning of the agitation cycle, with the variant that before said agitation, the mixture or washing mixture contained in the tank is pumped towards a nose or shower spraying the objects to be washed with the washing mixture. As can be seen, this method and tank arrangement do not contribute in great measure to substantial water nor energy savings, but indeed serve as a base for future developments, knowing that mixing water with chemical detergents before these make contact with the objects to be washed, avoids an undesired chemical attack on the textiles and betters the mixing proportions for a more uniform washing mixture, coupled to this aiding the objective of the detergent or chemicals in the wash.
A second example is Kretchman et al's EP 668 389 A1, which presents an improvement over the document above mentioned. Specifically, the space created in the lower part of the basket and the tub's bottom has been taken advantage of to store water, same which, once having a determined liquid level in this said area, detergent or washing chemicals are added, mixing to form the washing mixture, by means of a pump placed in a trough and hoses, the washing mixture is extracted and sprayed on the basket's upper part, meanwhile the bottom of the basket rotates with one or two degrees of liberty. Once again, it can be seen that if the water storage improvement in the tub's bottom is of great help, the circular and undulating movement of the basket's bottom, far from helping would be more of an artifact found at a fair. However, this does not represent an improvement with the purpose of stain or dirt removal on the objects to be washed.
Thus, in view of the problems described above, coupled to higher social conscience on the part of the consumer regarding more efficient household appliances, with more options, low cost, dependable and in particular with lower water use, the present invention has been developed.